The Martian VR Experience Gets An Awesome 360 Trailer

Starting today, folks with VR headsets will be able to experience some intense behind-the-scenes footage from last year's hit film, The Martian. If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to be stranded on Mars, this is a much safer way to go about it. They've even got a nifty interactive trailer to go along with the announcement.

Virtual reality and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly. From smaller experiences like what's available on PlayStation VR Worlds to bigger offerings like RIGS,EVE: Valkyrie and the upcoming Resident Evil VII, developers are finding all kinds of ways to plug interactive 3D spaces into their gaming worlds.

But that's only half of the VR equation, as other teams are figuring out new and interesting ways to tell stories or simply give participants a chance to experience something totally new. That's the category this latest offering from 20th Century Fox fits into, with The Martian: VR Experience set to take folks on a trip to the Red Planet.

In the trailer, executive producer Ridley Scott talks about how powerful it is to have new ways to invite an audience into a world they could normally only imagine. He states that, "with VR, you are the person actually walking on the planet," adding that "it's uncanny."

From the looks of things, folks who try out The Martian: VR Experience will be dropped into scenes from the movie, only recreated in a virtual space. We see a rover out collecting solar panels, as well as a free-floating scene above the planet itself. Honestly, we don't get too good a feel for what the experience will actually offer, but our interest is certainly piqued. The trailer's description talks about scenes like flying at zero G, but it's unclear if the player will be in control or just along for the ride.

The Martian: VR Experience will be available starting Nov. 15 for folks with the HTC Vive or PlayStation VR. It's coming to Oculus, too, though an exact date was not specified. If you get a chance to take it for a spin nice and early, we'd be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments section below.

While we're obviously most excited for the future of VR gaming, we're also on board for other experiences that can only be enjoyed with a headset strapped to our mugs. We're only in the beginning stages here, and already we're seeing some pretty interesting ideas come to the forefront.

And speaking of taking part in The Martian through a VR headset, what other movie worlds would you like to visit in the virtual space? Jurassic World, maybe? How about Pandora from Avatar? Star Wars, perhaps? Once again, give us your ideas in the comments below.